Data processing device

This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-319778 filed Dec. 11, 2007. The entire content of this application is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to a data processing device and a computer-readable storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on the data processing device.

Conventional data processing programs called screen readers function to convert text data displayed on a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as “PC”) to voice that can be played audibly in order to assist people with visual impairments in using ordinary PCs. One such data processing program designed to support the visually impaired in using a PC is disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2002-288071. This program provides a display area within the operation screen of a browser that acquires and displays World Wide Web (hereinafter referred to as “Web”) data. The display area is used to display menus with links or other data, enabling the visually impaired to acquire Web data through simple operations. When the browser acquires menu data for the visually impaired in addition to the Web data, the program can display this menu data in the operation screen of the browser, making the browser more user-friendly to the visually impaired user.

However, in the technology of Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. 2002-288071, when the browser acquires Web data including a video display command to display video that a screen reader would have difficulty voicing, the browser displays this video in the operation screen. However, since the screen reader cannot easily voice this data, a visually impaired user may not be able to understand the voiced content.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a data processing device and a computer-readable storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on the data processing device capable of acquiring alternate Web data having a greater potential for being voiced when acquiring Web data including a video display command for displaying video that a screen reader would have difficulty voicing, and capable of displaying this Web data in the operation screen.

In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention provides a data processing device connected to a web data providing unit that provides web data via a network, and on which an OS and a screen reader can be installed. The web data has at least one of first web data and second web data corresponding to the first web data. The data processing device includes a displaying unit, an acquiring unit, a determining unit, and a controlling unit. The displaying unit displays the web data in at least one of a text character form and an image form. The first web data has a voicing part that a user can operate when the first web data is displayed on the displaying unit. The voicing part includes the text character. The screen reader voices the first web data displayed on the displaying unit and fails to voice the second web data displayed on the displaying unit. The acquiring unit acquires the web data from the web data providing unit. The determining unit determine, based on visually impaired information indicating that the user is a visually impaired, whether or not the acquiring unit should acquire the first web data from the web data providing unit even if the user instructs the acquiring unit to acquire the second web data from the web data providing unit. The controlling unit controls the acquiring unit to acquire the first web data when the determining unit determines that the acquiring unit should acquire the first web data, and configured to control the displaying unit to display the first web data.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a set of program instructions executable on a data processing device connected to a web data providing unit that provides web data via a network, and on which an OS and a screen reader can be installed. The web data has at least one of first web data and second web data corresponding to the first web data. The data processing device includes a displaying unit that displays the web data in at least one of a text character form and an image form. The first web data has a voicing part that a user can operate when the first web data is displayed on the displaying unit. The voicing part includes the text character. The screen reader voices the first web data displayed on the displaying unit and fails to voice the second web data displayed on the displaying unit. The program instructions includes a) determining, based on visually impaired information indicating that the user is a visually impaired, whether or not the first web data should be acquired from the web data providing unit even if a user instructs to acquire the second web data from the web data providing unit; b) acquiring the first web data, when it is determined in a) that the first web data should be acquired; and c) controlling the displaying unit to display the first web data, when it is determined in a) that the first web data should be acquired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of a PC according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2(a) is an explanatory diagram showing sample content for a Web pagee A including a video display command;

FIG. 2(b) is an explanatory diagram showing sample content for a Web page B including a video display command;

FIG. 2(c) is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating the content of a video ID data table;

FIG. 2(d) is an explanatory diagram conceptually illustrating the content of a link ID data table;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating steps in a main process performed on the PC;

FIG. 4(a) is a screenshot showing an example of a dialog box A;

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Input device for inputting voice information including voice recognizer
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Data processing: presentation processing of document

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